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Ignatius' figurative speechNow, as to Ignatius, which you have referred to, Ignatius did himself qualify his beliefs in the blood and wine as being symbolic and figurative, and not literal- "8. ...Take up the practice, then, of kind forbearance and renew yourselves in faith, which is the flesh of the Lord, and in love, which is the blood of Jesus Christ. Let none of you bear a grudge against his neighbor. Give no pretext to the pagans, so that, because of a few foolish persons, God's own people may not be reviled. For woe unto him through whom my name is reviled among some out of folly." Ignatius' epistle to the Trallians. "7... I have no taste for corruptible food or for the delights of this life. Bread of God is what I desire; that is, the Flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for my drink I desire his blood, that is, incorruptible love." Ignatius' epistle to the Romans Here Ignatius himself explains his belief that the flesh of Christ is symbolic of our "kind forbearance", and "faith;" and that the blood is symbolic of "love." Just as Jesus said, in different words... Joh 6:57 "* AS * the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: * so * he that eateth me, even he shall * live by me *. 58 * this is that bread *" Ignatius did admittedly reiterate the figurative form also, which is not contradictory, but quite in line to, exactly how I believe. Reiterating the figurative form which Jesus first gave does not retract from the figurative meaning of those words in any way... "4. Take care, then, to partake of one Eucharist; for, one is the Flesh of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and one the cup to unite us with His Blood, and one altar, just as there is one bishop assisted by the presbytery and the deacons, my fellow servants. Thus you will conform in all your actions to the will of God." Ignatius' epistle to the Philadelphians. by TomR. Please continue with The Melchizedek priesthood by TomR |